A MEDIATION centre needs to be set up to resolve disputes between Muslims and non-Muslims, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Mohd Na’im Mokhtar said.

He said the mediation process is informal and requires a suitable platform to be implemented to help the parties involved, apart from the court context.

“This is because it involves a dispute between a Muslim and non-Muslim, namely a non-Muslim father and Muslim mother and child, without prejudicing any party… apart from it involving two different courts, namely civil and shariah.

“We don’t want any party to take this opportunity to cause conflict and unrest. We want to create a society that is united and understanding,” he said when met at a ceremony to introduce a copy of the Quran published by Karya Bestari, Karangkraf Book Group in conjunction with the 40th Kuala Lumpur International Book Festival in Kuala Lumpur today.

Na’im was commenting on a child custody case following a viral video on social media recently showing a mother and her nine-year-old child being separated after the Kuantan High Court decided that the child’s custody be handed over to the father.

It is understood that the child is of an Orang Asli couple who have divorced and was previously being looked after by the mother who has embraced Islam.

The Kuantan High Court on Thursday ordered the child to be handed over to the non-Muslim father through a habeas corpus order.

Na’im, however, said the establishment of the mediation centre still required further study by the authorities for it to be implemented either under the civil court or otherwise.

“What is most important is that the mediator appointed in the process must consist of a combination of shariah law experts, civil law experts and child specialists,” he said.

“I am confident that this informal way can solve the problem fairly and that the interests of the children are taken care of.” – Bernama, May 28, 2023.